


Red Memories

by PrinceWhisper



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Bath Sex, Frottage, Hand Jobs, M/M, Post episode 123, Post-Canon, Probably will eventually be somewhat canon-divergent, Spoilers, They're married and in love in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:48:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29068296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceWhisper/pseuds/PrinceWhisper
Summary: Caleb wakes, a nightmare still reflected in his eyes. Essek worries. They find comfort in one another.
Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 1
Kudos: 122





	Red Memories

**Author's Note:**

> I........am alive, believe it or not! This year has been absolute chaos and any writing energy I had went on vacation. BUT I was feeling super stressed after last night's episode and in desperate need of something warm and soft. I give you....married wizards.
> 
> This is a bit of a stream of consciousness drabble with some mild spice at the end. I'm rusty but it was nice to write again!

It was very early in the morning when Caleb woke from slumber with a start, sitting up ramrod straight in bed. His breath was heavy, panting as his eyes still saw the glow of bright red, peering at him from beyond as he heard the echo of thousands of screams in his ears. Frantically, he searched his skin, looking for fresh marks--red eyes that peered back at him.

Next to him, he felt movement, drawing his focus for a moment as Essek slowly sat up, rubbing at his eyes and frowning a bit. Rarely did his husband sleep, but when he did, he was always slow to come out of it.  
“Caleb?” He murmured, and one of his hands rested gently on Caleb’s bare shoulder, his brow furrowing further when he felt the tacky texture of a fine layer of sweat. “Are you alright?”

Slowly but surely, Caleb felt his heart slow, taking stock of where he was, when it was, who he was with. _Just a dream._

“Ah…” he slowly realized, his shoulders slumping as the panic seeped away from him, exhausted by the realization alone. “It was just a memory,” he said, looking to Essek, who had that familiar concerned look etched across his face. “I’m alright.”  
Essek, unconvinced, sat up all the way, taking Caleb’s hand and squeezing it gently. “The same as before?”  
  
“ _Ja_ ,” Caleb responded, after a moment of hesitation. “I think it will always be there, on some level.” He smiled weakly, knowing he’d done a piss-poor job of convincing his husband.

Essek regarded him for a long moment before humming, reaching up to brush some copper hair from Caleb’s face. “So long as it was just a memory, and not something new,” he said, voice rough with sleep he so rarely indulged in. A shock of guilt ran through Caleb, and it must have shown on his face, for the soft sigh from Essek as a result.  
  
“It’s fine. When I _do_ need sleep, I don’t need much.” He moved his hand to Caleb’s cheek, now, stroking with his thumb. “You, however, do.”

He leaned in then, giving Caleb a chaste kiss before his hands insistently pushed on his shoulders, easing him back into the bed. “I’ll stay,” he said, as Caleb opened his mouth to ask. “I don’t have any obligations for a few hours yet.”

Caleb nodded, and already, comforted by Essek’s presence and low voice, could feel the exhaustion creeping back over him. His eyelids grew heavy, but he stayed awake long enough for Essek to settle back in next to him, the comforting weight of his arm resting around Caleb’s middle. Vaguely, he heard Essek mumble something, but it was quickly lost to the realm of his rest.

\--

Being the one in their partnership that required sleep each night, Caleb had grown accustomed to waking up on his own--but that didn’t make it easier. He stirred slowly as his internal clock let him know that it was just past dawn, the warmth of his husband still lingering in the bed but fading. He couldn’t have been gone for long, at least. 

Caleb sat up slowly, snapping his fingers to light a candle next to him and look around drowsily. Adjusting to life in the dynasty had come with its own challenges, and the constant state of darkness was one of the harder things to adapt to. He knew it was dawn, but no light crept through the curtains. 

With a yawn, he swung his legs out of bed slowly, taking stock of the room. Essek’s morning robe was absent, but his clothes for the day were not. So, he was up, but had not started with work. Given the time, Caleb could only guess one place he would be--in the bath. He considered for a moment trying to sleep a bit more, but the mental image of Essek, disrobed, soaking in warm water...was a bit too alluring.

A little smile curled over his face at the thought, and he paused to give Frumpkin a little scratch on the head before proceeding through the large room and down the hall. Adjusting to the size and layout of Essek’s home took some adjustment as well, but he didn’t mind. They’d made it _theirs_.

“Essek?” he called, stepping into the large room that housed the bath, smiling at the presence of steam. His husband was feeling particularly indulgent lately, was he?

“Ah...In here, Caleb,” he heard a voice call, and he stepped around a half-wall, pausing at the sight to just...admire for a moment.  
Essek was gorgeous. He’d always thought so, even back when they first met and he shoved those feelings far, far back in his mind. Even when he’d learned of Essek’s betrayal, and worked through their issues of trust. And especially when they showed up at the outpost, Essek’s nose glowing with the cold and the worry in his eyes. 

“Having a good time?” Essek chuckled, beckoning with one hand and breaking Caleb from his thoughts. “Come, join me. It’s early, you have nowhere to be.”

“ _Ja, ja_ …” Caleb smiled, shucking off the light clothes he’d worn to sleep in before padding forward. He stepped slowly into the large tub and sighed, sinking into the warm water. He’d always loved a long, hot bath when he had a moment for one. 

The room fell quiet, and he glanced up, finding Essek’s violet eyes fixated on him. “ _Was?”_

“Nothing. Just concern,” Essek responded, his eyes tracking over Caleb’s face, studying him. “Whenever you wake like that, I grow concerned.”

Caleb paused, and for a moment, considered Essek’s words. He thought briefly about brushing it off, but he knew he’d see through it. “I won’t say it was nothing,” he said, talking slowly as he worked through his thoughts. Essek remained quiet, watching Caleb as he continued, “I never enjoy the nightmares of that...time. But that’s also all they are--nightmares. Old memories.”

Essek hummed, moving a bit closer in the tub and bumping their knees together. “You know if you ever worry that it’s more than that--”

“ _Ja_ , I know, I’ll tell you,” Caleb interjected, reassuring him and reaching over to gently squeeze his hand. “We are long past the point where we keep secrets.”

Essek smiled a bit at that, humming softly. “Well...is there anything I can do to help?”

Caleb knew Essek was just being a concerned, loving partner. They’d spent a long time together now, learning each other and growing more comfortable. Safe. He _felt_ safe with him. He knew Essek would never hurt him, not ever again. And there were...other aspects of their relationship that they’d slowly but surely explored as well.

“I will admit,” Caleb said, getting distracted by a bead of water that slowly rolled down Essek’s elegant neck, “that I did have somewhat ulterior motives when I came to find you in here.”

The laugh that bubbled from Essek filled Caleb with a special type of warmth, his mouth crooking in a little smile. 

“Of course you did,” Essek said, fondly rolling his eyes and moving a bit closer, his hand lifting to curl into Caleb’s long hair. “Some days, you are like a man far younger than your years,” he commented, head tilting a little bit. “Imagine your stamina in future lives with me, hm?”

“Do you have an issue with my stamina, _Essek?_ ” Caleb said lowly, moving forward into Essek’s space and wrapping an arm around his waist to pull him close. 

“Ah--no, no, I said no such thing, Caleb--” he started, breath hitching when the human lowered his mouth to his neck, lips starting soft before he dug in with teeth, leaving little marks here and there. He let his eyes flutter shut, the hand in his hair tightening. “I am quite impressed, really.”

“Why do I feel like you’re teasing me?” Caleb murmured, his mouth moving to his shoulder, sucking a bruise that blossomed a deep plum mark into his skin. Essek groaned softly, tugging his hair a bit and shifting so he slipped into Caleb’s lap all the way. They both moaned as their hips collided under the water.

“Because I _am_ \--ah, fuck--” Essek hissed, his hands moving to Caleb’s shoulders, nails digging in as a magic-rough hand slipped between them, wrapping around his cock. “Alright, point taken, I apologize for teasing!”  
“No need to tell lies, _schátz_ ,” Caleb snickered, his hand working Essek slowly and thoroughly, knowing how mad it drove him. Essek moaned and quivered on top of him, as sensitive and needy as usual.   
  
“Oh, do shut up,” the Shadowhand growled, leaning down to do just that and kiss his husband, dirty and passionate. He licked into Caleb’s mouth, eliciting a groan. Roughly, he rolled his hips into his hand, growing impatient and egging Caleb on. Within moments, he got what he wanted, the hand between them moving to wrap around both of their cocks and beginning to stroke with fervor. 

Essek moaned, his kiss growing sloppy and distracted as they moved together. Neither paid any mind to the water they stirred up, sloshing over the sides and making a mess to be dealt with later. Caleb swallowed down every little sound his husband made, grinding up against him as his hand moved under the water. The friction was a bit rough, but it didn’t matter--not when he had Essek in his lap, groaning and rocking against him.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Essek hissed, breaking the kiss to wrap his arms around Caleb and bury his face against his neck. He rolled his hips sharply, getting closer with each expert pull of Caleb’s hand. “ _Caleb,_ I’m--” he hissed, bucking against him two, three times before he came, shouting his name and throwing his head back.

Caleb wasn’t far behind, hissing a mix of Essek’s name and several Zemnian curses as he rolled his hips up into his hand. The writhing of Essek against him and his name on his tongue was all he needed, coming with a loud moan and rocking against him, twitching with the aftershocks.

“I love you,” Essek murmured after a few moments, his breath fanning across Caleb’s neck as he slowly came down, feeling hazy and warm and sated. And Caleb, whispering it back against his ear, knew that no matter his past...everything he’d done, everything he’d been through, finally had such a good future to look forward to.  
  
He couldn’t wait. 

**Author's Note:**

> I just realized this is the second fic in which I make poor Caleb wake up from a dream and feel like hell after. Sorry buddy


End file.
